Organized by reformers in the Eastern United States, the program swept children westward in an attempt to both remove them from the squalor and poverty of the city and help provide labor for farms out west. Between 1854 and 1929, up to 200,000 children were placed on the trains and adopted by new families.

Some common complaints were: The children coming on the trains were of poor character or poor health. They were “criminals” and “vagabonds” or they were sickly or disabled. New York was using orphan trains as a way to send their “problems” West.

Orphan Train is an American TV movie directed by William Graham which was broadcast on CBS on December 22, 1979. It is based on the Orphan Train Movement, associated with the early days of Children's Aid and similar organizations.

Other organizations quickly adopted Brace's system, and for nearly 80 years, children migrated across the country to find new homes. Finally, in 1929, amidst growing objections and changing welfare systems, the orphan train movement came to an end. FAQs – All your basic questions, answered!